A selection of menu items from Salisbury’s Pizza in Dallas.

Desiree Gutierrez

While fine dining has its place, Salisbury’s Pizza is making a case for something a little more approachable. The East Dallas pizzeria opened in August in Casa Linda Plaza, fulfilling what the neighborhood has been yearning for: craft, intention and a place where you can grab a $4 slice on a regular weeknight.  

“When we started looking for a restaurant, we knew we wanted to be in a neighborhood,” a caption on the restaurant’s Instagram page revealed. “We didn’t want Salisbury’s to be somewhere you could only come for a special occasion. We wanted somewhere you could bring your family for dinner, stop in for a slice or come have a pizza and a bottle of wine on a random Tuesday. East Dallas felt like the right place for that.” 

Salisbury’s Pizza comes to Dallas through culinary and wine figures Will and Julie Salisbury. The newlyweds bring plenty of experience to the former Be Home Soon space, but unlike many other recent Dallas openings, they took a DIY approach to building their own restaurant.  

The Salisburys became their own general contractors, overseeing and completing the build-out with help from YouTube, Facebook Marketplace and their family photo albums. The result feels simultaneously lived-in and brand new. 

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The floors are black-and-white checkered, the tablecloths are red-and-white checkered, and the walls and bar are maple-colored wood. The deep forest-green brick wall matches the channel-style vinyl booth seats. 

The L-shaped bar doubles as a checkout counter, where the back of the restaurant showcases an old-school changeable menu board. Tucked to its left is a wine fridge next to a Ms. Pac-Man arcade machine. Cookbooks pile atop cabinets and shelves, while the back bar is decorated with liquor, decanters and plates that feel plucked straight from Nonna’s hutch. Framed weathered family photos and certificates dot the walls. There’s even a Ferrari-themed restroom. 

Arrive early, arrive hungry

We stopped by a couple of weeks ago. Each table was accounted for, but the bar was quiet. We quickly learned that 3:30 to 4 p.m. is the sweet spot. Peak periods can create waits of up to approximately 90 minutes, even for to-go orders. By 4:15 p.m., there wasn’t a seat available anywhere.  

The ziti pie at Salisbury’s Pizza

Our server, Walter, was exceptional. He led us through a proud introduction of the offerings. 

“Looking over the menu, it’s a small menu, but what we do, we do it correctly,” he said. “Everything we do, we do in-house. We got our owner, chef Will, right there. Makes all the pizzas himself. He makes all the dough during the day, all the pizzas at night.” 

He wasn’t lying. Will and Julie manned the pizza station just a few feet away from us for our entire meal. Will stretched and tossed dough, transforming pillowy blobs into 18-inch New York-style pies while Julie meticulously oversaw the oven. 

Our restraint immediately went out the door. 

Will is your Nonna now

Appetizers and salads span house-pickled giardiniera, Parmesan-dusted garlic knots, golf-ball-sized meatballs, prosciutto and parm, a chopped salad and the vital Caesar salad. 

Will keeps the pizza menu tight. Slices range from $3.95 to $5.95, while whole pizzas start at $19.95 and top out at $28.95.

The Ziti pizza is a sentimental pie that takes Will back to his Long Island childhood, combining ziti with pizza for a two-for-one carb experience. The Sausage and Rabe is a white-sauce pie with house sausage, broccoli rabe and creamy heaps of ricotta. Both are $5.95 a slice. 

Surprisingly, our favorite was the floppy slice of regular cheese pizza. It’s head-sized and evenly topped, with just the right amount of sauce. It’s simple and does everything it needs to. Best of all, the slice is $3.95. 

A lasagna cheese pull.

Salisbury’s Lasagna is a limited, freshly baked lasagna that takes 25 to 30 minutes to cook. The signature dish is built with buttery béchamel, veal bolognese and spinach pasta made in-house. It’s a shareable lasagna that comes out steaming and cuts with an epic cheese pull. The veal makes for a lighter lasagna that won’t send you into a food coma. 

Grappa or bust

Julie, a certified sommelier, has built an approachable wine menu. Pours come from Italy, France, California, Oregon, Slovenia and Greece. A glass of house wine is $8.95, and bottles begin at $35 with an aromatic 2024 Assuli Baglio Dardinello Zibibbo. 

There are also classic cocktails, but what caught our attention was the grappa. The pomace brandy is a wine-meets-liquor digestive with a fiery punch and ever-so-sweet aftertaste. In Italian culture, it’s often enjoyed in or after espresso. 

The pizzeria will soon begin delivery, also handled in-house – a throwback workaround to the modern delivery app pounding. For now, you can place scheduled pickup orders online.

Salisbury’s Pizza, 9540 Garland Road, Ste. 407, Tuesday – Saturday 3:30 – 9:30 p.m.